Breastfeeding in an inner-city patient population.

In order to determine the proportion of infants seen in safety-net health clinics whose mothers initiated and sustained breastfeeding and to assess predictors of breastfeeding in this largely minority patient population, charts were reviewed for infants treated in the eight Philadelphia Health Centers. Breastfeeding was initiated by 42%; 7.5% breastfed for 180 or more days.

Overweight among young children in the Philadelphia health care centers: incidence and prevalence.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and incidence of overweight among low-income, inner-city children aged 3 to 7 years and to determine predictors of changes in body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) percentile.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using administrative and medical records.

Setting: The Philadelphia Health Care Centers, 1996 through 2003.